St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-10
HUMAN LIVER EATERS.
Issue Day Scenes at the Brule Indian
Agency.
HOW BUCKS MAKE LOVE.
A Scene That Calls to Mind the Span
ish Bull Fights---Human
Liver Eaters.
Special to the Globe.
CHAMBERLAIN, OAK, Dec. 9.-Walter

Scott said:
If you would visit fair Melrose Alright,
Go visit it by the pale moonlight.
If any one wishes to see the Indian in
all his primeval simplicity, innocence,
Savagery, or whatever one chooses to
call it, he should visit an Indian agency
on issue day. Just across the Missouri
river, and about four miles below this
city. stands Brule agency, the head
quarters of about 1.500 Indians, includ-
ing bucks, squaws and pappOoseS. The
Indians begin to arrive the day previous
to issue day, and the different trails
leading to the agency are lined with In
dians on foot, horseback and in wagons.
Every one seems to be in the best of
humOr, the reason no doubt being the
contemplation of the good things in
store for them OH the morrow. All is
hurry and hustle on the eyentful MORN
ing. Stately chiefs with long raven
locks. trimmed with eagle feathers,
converse together i'll groups, or walk
erect and dignified in front of the
agents Office. Dirty Squaws, with great
coffee sacks in their hands, Screech at
each other and impatiently wait for the
business to begin, while the young Sci0nS
of the prairie, armed with bows and
arrows. are popping away at birds and
other objects which come in their way.
Another romantic feature frequently
lends itself to the occasion. The great
est of all the human passions; the one
that has entered largely into the worlds
history, which has destroyed men, king
dOmS and empires, manlfestS itself
among the most simple and prlmeval
forms of mankind. Love has its seat
and center in the heart of the young In
dian. and he makes life burden to the
object of his affections if she does not
return the affection. When an Indian
begins to feel the symptoms of love, viz:
loss of sleep, bad appetite, palpitation
of the heart, with vision OF dusky love
illness fitting before his imagination, he
straightWay covers his head with
blanket and proceeds to the tepee of his
bronZed sweetheart. She understands
what he means and goes forth to meet
him. She does not surrender herself
Immediately. Oh, no, but like her fairer
and more civilized sister, she defends
the citadel with all her ingenuity, and
it may be many moons before she con-
sentS to let her admirer throw his
blanket over her head and enfold her to
his manly bosom. He may spread his
blanket with both hands and try to
throw it over her head-in the manner
that cowboys lasso 4 refractory steer
but she lodges it artfully and laugh
ingly retreats to safe dis
lance. When she has annoyed
him long enough she affects
to forget herself and allows the blanket
to fall over her head. The balance is
easily told. He points out to her his
possessions, if he has any, and If none,
what he expects to get when the ''old
man dies" She is satisfied, and then
there are ''two souls with but a single
thought, two hearts that beat as one.
But to go back to the more practical and
essential part of this subject, the one OF
issuing ratiOnS. When the hour arrives
the issue clerk throws open the doors OF
a large building, which contains sugar,
coffee, flour, bacon and many other
things. which are served out by assist
ants in regular order. The clerk has
list of the heads of the families, with
the number of children, and when he
calls the name the poSSeSSOr thereof i'm
mediately responds. and his rations are
thrust prOmiScuouSly into the capaclouS
sack, which his Squaw shoulders and
carries to one side. This is repeated
until
ALL ARE SERVED.
Sometimes buck tries to ring in an
extra member to his family, but he Is
generally caught at it. when a general
laugh is the result. And again, another
one will have positive proof OF an IN
crease, in the shape of a young pap
pOOSe, who is Immediately placed on the
list and the rations increased. This, so
far. has been the quietest part of
the performance.
The excitement is yet to come. About
l,o1f tbn : q
stOckade. surrounded by high fence,
made from thick strong slabs. inside of
which are corraled forty or fifty wild
steers with lank sides and extremely
long horns. These are to be slaughtered
to furnish beef for the Indians. When
the time arrives for the slaughter to
take place, there is general stampede
in that direction. The crowd sometimes
resembles moving army, with the, eX-
ception of one thing, there is no order
in the march. and every one gets to the
front as rapidly as possible. The top of
the stockade is so0I lined with dusky
faces and red blankets. 1t resembles a
great Spanish bull fight to the magma
tive mind, and he can see the activity
of the chief man, who, instead of carry
ing a sword or dagger, is armed with
a Winchester which soon causes every
bullock to bite the dust. All ready. The
steers are driven into one corner OF the
stOckade, report rings out and steer
drops. Another and another report,
each time thinning the ranks of terri
fed creatures until the Winchester is
empty. An Indian standing slightly be-
hind the marksman, hands him another
rifle and he continues the deadly
work, until the whole herd of cattle are
stretched iifeleSS In the dust OF the
arena. Sometimes shot is not lmme-
diately fatal, and. with frantic below
of rage, the frenZied steer plungeS madly
at his prosecutors. He sometimes clears
the ground completely for time, espe-
cially if the guns have ali been emptied.
But he is soon finished. When lie makes
the charge when the marksman is ready
he is sure to fall before he reaches the
object of his vengeance. Now you have
a rare chance to witness the aboriginal
method of fiaying and cutting up their
meat. With keen-edged knives three or
four will gather around each victim,
and, with anatomical nicely, he is
f1ayed. uniointed, diSembOwled and di-
yided among the clamorous throng. As
a rule. the first thing is to cut out the
tongue, which is done with all the skill
of an accomplished surgeon. Every part
is utilized. Most every one has large
piece of raw liver in his hand, which is
eaten with great gusto; while pieces of
intestines, from one to three feet in
length, rapidly disappear down the
capacious maws of the hungry horde,
for, like the wolf, the Indian is always
hungry. There is an ach-
ing void just beneath his belt
which, like the horse leeche'S daugh-
ter, is always crying, ''Give, give"
While this interesting dessecting process
has been going on, some old chief gen
orally utilities the occasion to make an
elaborate speech. 1t may be an account
of his own personal exploits, or that of
his tribe; it may be a lecture to the
young men, on some of their short-com-
ings. or it may be something in regard
to the Sioux reservation. But whatever
it is, it seems to have no effect upon the
busy operators, who seem to be intent